Organic electroluminescent elements (organic EL elements) used in image display devices such as displays and planer light sources are known in the related art. In these organic EL elements, holes entering from an anode through a hole injection layer and electrons entering from a cathode through the electron injection layer are each transported to a light emitting layer. The holes and the electrons transported to the light emitting layer are then recombined on an organic molecule in the light emitting layer to excite the organic molecule. Light is thereby emitted. To use these organic EL elements in display devices and lighting devices, leak current should be reduced, and in addition, the light from the light emitting layer should be efficiently extracted from the surfaces of the organic EL elements.
Patent Literature 1 below discloses an organic electroluminescent element composed of a laminate containing a base layer and an organic electroluminescent layer, wherein the heated base layer is thermally shrunk to form shapes of projections and depressions on the surface of the base layer and thus form shapes of projections and depressions in the organic electroluminescent layer corresponding to the shapes of projections and depressions on the surface of the base layer. Patent Literature 1 describes that out-coupling efficiency is increased by the shapes of projections and depressions formed on these layers.